Try It Tuesday: The Root Cafe

The Root Cafe is open!  Head downtown to support a locally owned cafe that serves food from local growers.

Location: 15th & Main

Hours: Tues - Fri 7am-2:30pm

 Saturday 8am-3:30pm

Try It Tuesday: Lacto-fermenting

lacto-fermeted radishes and carrots

 A very easy way to preserve foods in season is to lacto-ferment.  The method sounds intimidating.  After all, who uses the words "lacto-fermenting" on a daily basis?

Let me encourage you to just try.  Try it.  You just might like it. In a weird way, I think it's a bit addicting.

Hi, I'm Julie and I like to lacto-ferment food.

My latest experiment was with radishes, kohlrabi, carrots and garlic.  Initially my plan was to lacto-ferment radishes.  But I didn't have enough to fill a jar.  So, I started rooting through my refrigerator thinking, "what goes with radish?"

After running everything through my food processor, I sprinkled a tablespoon of Real Salt over the bowl.

Next I needed some whey.  You can get whey by lining a mesh colander with a paper towel or coffee filter and filling it with yogurt.  Gravity causes whey to drip out.

However if you have other lacto-fermented veggies in your fridge, you can skim whey from those jars.  I happened to have an almost empty jar of kimchi.  I used the remaining juice (about 1/3 cup) to inoculate my new batch of radish/carrot/kohlrabi/garlic mixture.

My mixture fresh out of the food processor.

Squish everything around in the bowl then pack it into a quart jar.  If the liquid doesn't cover the top of the veggies, then pour a bit of filtered water to cover it all.  Tap water has chlorine and fluoride which could harm the beneficial bacteria in the whey.

Let your jar sit on the counter for 3 days and lacto-ferment...or do its thang.  On the third day, open the jar and taste.  If it is tangy to your liking, it's done.  Refrigerate.

What to do with this mixture?
It's yummy straight from the jar.  Just a few tablespoons per meal enhances digestion.

I will mostly use it on salads - or anywhere I'd like to add a pop of color or zing of garlicy radishy taste.  It was perfect in my brown rice salad.

-Julie

Try It Tuesday: Brussel Sprouts

source

This poor vegetable has a bad reputation and I'm not sure why. Prepared properly, they are quite tasty!  According to Wikipedia, brussel sprouts are providers of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber.  Moreover, they are believed to protect against colon cancer.

bussels on stalk

Brussel sprouts are in the same family cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi - all plants that grow best in cooler temperatures.

Fall is comin' y'all!  Brussel sprouts will be making their way to the farmers markets and in produce sections of the grocery store.

I stumbled upon some, albeit small ones, at the River Market.  I snatched them up, took them home and roasted them.

First, I picked off any loose outer leaves and trimmed the bottoms.  If yours are large, you might consider cutting them in half.  The most important thing is that they are all of similar size for roasting evenly.


Then I drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled a generous amount of Real Salt.

I placed them in a single layer on a cookie sheet into a preheated 400* oven.  Since they were small, I checked on them after about 15 minutes.  I wanted them slightly charred but not burnt.

Delicious!  Please try it.

Try It Tuesday: Jicama

Jicama (pronounced HE-cah-muh) is a root vegetable.  It tastes somewhat like a very mild onion, with apple undertones and maybe even a hint of green beans.  The outer skin is papery and is peeled with a knife or vegetable peeler .  Underneath the skin, the texture is reminiscent of a potato or a crunchy pear.  Sometimes I'll describe it similar the texture of water chestnuts (but not from China!)

It's a prebiotic, which basically means that it feeds all the probiotics that you eat.  Garlic and onions are also prebiotics.

There are endless possibilities of culinary uses for the jicama.

Way's I've used it:

-shredded in chicken salad

-match sticks in a green salad (with a salad dressing made of lime, honey and olive oil).  This is a perfect salad to serve with Mexican food (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc.)

When I tell people about jicama, the most often asked question is "Where do you buy it?"

Jicama can be found in most grocery stores, near the other root vegetables.  The above picture came from Kroger on Rodney Parham.  And usually I need to spell it for the cashier when checking out.  :)

Julie

Try It Tuesday:: Coconut Water

Q: What's hotter than Arkansas in August?

A:  Arkansas in September.

++++++++++++++++++++

My son is wanting to play football this fall.  The coach sent an email reminding parents to hydrate children.  I applaud him for that; however, I found fault with his hydration recommendations (beyond water).  His well-meaning sports drink suggestions were laden with artificial colors and loaded with empty sugars.


Let me tempt you with nature's sports drink: coconut water.  It tastes delicious.  In fact, I sipped on it while in labor to give me the much needed electrolytes needed for, well, the hard work of LABOR.


Coconut water is packed with potassium that prevents cramping, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and sodium.  Much like the highly prized coconut oil, coconut water contains high levels of lauric acid which has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties which will keep your immune system healthy.


Since it has a long shelf life, I keep some in the pantry at all times - instead of Gatorade, Vitamin Water, or Pedialyte - for those times when hydration is needed.  Because when I have a sick family member I don't want to rush to the store.


Coconut water can be found at Whole Foods, the "health food" section of Kroger, and Drug Emporium.  As everything you buy in a package, be sure to read the ingredient label.  You want to buy 100% coconut water, not one that has added sugar.  Trust me, it does not need more sugar.  There are, however, some coconut waters that are flavored with other fruits.


Try it, you just might like it.